South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture defended the move – which will affect all of their golf clubs in the area – saying non-residents should pay more as residents already contribute financially towards local services.

General manager Gerry Campbell said: “The whole of the public sector is under budget pressure, and the council’s grant from government has suffered real-term cuts in recent years, and as a result the funding for local leisure services is decreasing.

“We have had to make difficult choices and the proposed increase to golf fees is seven per cent for residents of South Lanarkshire and 20 per cent for non-residents.

“Non-residents will be asked to pay more because we acknowledge that residents of South Lanarkshire are already contributing financially towards a range of services in the area.

“We operated a similar system until a few years ago and there are other areas where residents are offered preferential rates to use services, including the highly successful Activage programme, open to residents of South Lanarkshire who are over 60 years of age.”